I was born in alabama
but i never knew my mama
she gave me away at three months old
some folks in mississippi
took me in and kept me
and treated me just like i was their own
a holiness preacher-man's daughter
and a hard-workin' sharecropper father
my real mama was apache
my real daddy? hell, don't ask me
mama says she don't remember him
and i'm sure somewhere in my hist'ry
i've got some slave blood in me
and some folks think that i look mexican
i never really fit in anyplace
'cause there's always a part of me to hate
I'm the rainbow man
that's who i am
i'm a little white and black and red and tan
i've got all these different colors in my skin
i'm the rainbow man
Well, i know you may doubt it
but if you stop and think about it
there's one common thing that we've all got
people from all countries
come here because they're hungry
for what's cookin' in america's melting pot
we're all different but the same
red's the only color in our veins
Well, i'm a rainbow man
livin' in a rainbow land
i'm white and black and yellow and brown and red and tan
and i'm so proud of all the colors that i am
i'm the rainbow man
All these colors make me american
i'm the rainbow man